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Office of the IACUC

About Us

This office is the administrative unit that supports the Harvard Medical Area Standing Committee on Animals (HMA IACUC) to ensure animal research is held to the highest standards and carried out in accordance with regulatory requirements.

The staff also serves the research community as a resource for understanding the rules and responsibilities each individual associated with the animal care and use program is expected to uphold.

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HMA Standing Committee on Animals

A variety of research activities on the Harvard Longwood Campus involve animals. Extensive effort is made to provide excellent care for animals used in research and minimize procedures that have potential for discomfort, distress or pain.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUC) oversee the responsible use of animals in research and instructional activities. The IACUC at this institution is named the Harvard Medical Area Standing Committee on Animals (HMA IACUC) and was founded in November 1907, nearly 60 years prior to the Animal Welfare Act. The committee reviews animal research proposals, assesses the overall animal care and use program, and monitors the animal facilities to ensure compliance with standards and regulatory requirements.

This institution's animal care and use program maintains accreditation and licensing with the following agencies:

AAALAC International Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife National Institutes of Health (NIH) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Our Responsibilities

Protocol Review

Any manipulation to live animals, including breeding, must be described on an IACUC-approved protocol. Read through the protocols, on which you will be working with animals, and ensure that your work is properly described.

Program Oversight

The animal care and use program is reviewed by the IACUC every six [6] months. Its assessment includes disaster planning and emergency preparedness, personnel training, and veterinary care.

Animal Use Area Inspections

All areas where animals may be housed or handled must be inspected by the IACUC - typically every six [6] months. Animals remaining in a use area for more than twelve [12] hours require special approval.

Report Animal Welfare Concerns

This institution promotes the highest standards of animal care and use. If you observe, or even suspect, animal abuse or regulatory non-compliance, then report it to the Office of the IACUC, or even institutional leadership, to open an investigation.